Alonso downplays chances of podium in Spain

Fernando Alonso has downplayed his chances of scoring a podium finish at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Despite finishing third at the last round in China, he is expecting a “tough” home race and doesn’t believe he can replicate the result at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

“We cannot start the weekend thinking to be on the podium, thinking to win the race,” he explained in the FIA press conference. “That will be creating wrong and false targets to everyone that will come here.”

“We finished ninth and tenth in Bahrain, we did podium in China because we had some things putting together on that Sunday but it’s not that we are in a position now to say we will fight for the podium here.

“We will do our best but we know that it’s going to be a tough weekend, not going to be easy. But you never know, this is sport and anything can happen. But today, sitting here, if I tell you that I will fight for the podium, probably I will lie to you and I don’t want to do so for all the people coming.”

He added that a top three result would be “unbelievable”. The Spaniard thinks the track characteristics will help Ferrari more than the developments being brought to the car this weekend. “The characteristics of the circuit will help us a bit, as there are not too many big straights,” he said.

“We have brought some new parts but I don’t think it will be any different to the other teams. We will have to see. Track characteristics will probably be the biggest help here.”

Image courtesy of Octane Photographic

Jack Leslie

Jack Leslie is a freelance motorsport and Formula 1 journalist. He has been part of the Richland F1 team since the very start and made his F1 paddock debut for the website at the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix. Jack also writes for Car Throttle, RumbleStripNews, Formula1Blog, PureF1 and F1 Plus, as well as running a popular blog.